FOUR men, accused of carrying out armed robberies on Brazilian mining camps at Aranka, Baramita, North West District, yesterday appeared in court, together with a 26-year-old woman charged with receiving some of the stolen articles.
Two brothers, Stephan and Kendal Lewis of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara, Germaine Jerrick (no address given), and Elton Grant, 23, of 53 Victoria Village, East Coast Demerara, were charged jointly on five robbery under arms charges.
The accused appeared before Magistrate Hazel Octave-Hamilton along with Marissa Ridley of 154 Fourth Street, Alexander Village, Georgetown, who was charged on two counts of receiving stolen property.
On August 20 last, at Aranka Landing, Cuyuni River, it is alleged that the four men, being armed with guns:
*robbed Keite Da Forta of a laptop computer, three digital cameras, six ounces of raw gold, two cell phones, two gold chains, two torch lights and $140,000 in cash, all valued $2,463,000.
*robbed Joacy De Souza of three pairs of gold earrings, three gold rings, three gold chains, three ounces and five pennyweights of raw gold, all valued $1,529,000.
*robbed Rosalie Nacimento Costa of a gold chain and a pair of gold earrings, together valued $100,000.
*robbed Edmilson Da Silva of cell phones, cash and other articles, all valued $291,000.
*robbed Antonio  Beserra De Souza of a DVD player, a wrist watch, a gold chain, a Brazilian passport and other articles, all worth $136,000.
Ridley, a mother of two, pleaded not guilty to two charges while the four accused were not required to plead.
It is alleged that, on August 31, she received a DVD player valued $54,000 knowing it to have been stolen or unlawfully obtained, property of Antonio Beserra De Souza.
Particulars of the second charge said, on the same day, she received from  Germaine Jerrick one laptop computer valued $200,000 and a cell phone valued $40,000, knowing that they were stolen, property of Keite Da Forta.
The four men were unrepresented, but attorney-at-law Tameshwar Sarwan appeared for Ridley and informed the court that the defendant sells clothes for a living and travels regularly to Aranka for that purpose.
In his attempt to secure bail for Ridley, Sarwan said his client was arrested among several persons who were believed to be carrying out robberies in the area.
But Police Sergeant Shellon Daniels, prosecuting, objected to the grant, noting that investigations by Police are incomplete hence more charges are likely against the defendant.
Magistrate Octave-Hamilton subsequently inquired the reason the officers laid the charges without first concluding their investigations.
Prosecutor Daniels then explained that those charged were arrested on a stint operation and that when their 72 hours in detention expired, the officers had no choice but to place them before the court.
Ridley complained to the court that the officers who took down her personal information could hardly spell, hence recorded wrong details.

She was released on $200,000 bail and will return to Bartica Court on September 29.
The other accused were remanded to prison and will return to court on the same day as Ridley.